Lug nut retainer

ABSTRACT

A lug nut retainer that holds a lug nut in position proximate to a wheel lug hole to accept a stud extended through the wheel lug hole and for resiliently urges the lug nut onto the stud while allowing the lug nut to rotate to screw onto and off the stud. A resilient retaining clip is mounted onto the wheel to hold the lug nut in position near the wheel lug hole and to resiliently urge the lug nut towards the wheel lug hole. The retaining clip is fastened to the wheel lug hole by inserting an arm of the clip through two holes provided in the wheel. As an additional feature, a limit clip is provided that limits the motion of the retaining clip to decrease the likelihood that the retaining clip may be bent or damaged while allowing the retaining clip to be positioned on a nut. The lug nut is provided with a socket stop ring around which the retaining clip is positioned. The stop ring keeps the socket from rubbing against the retaining clip. For wheel types where the retaining clips protruding through the back of the wheel would contact the hub or otherwise interfere with other parts of the automobile, a retaining plate is attached to the wheel for holding the retaining and limit clips.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.07/595,569, filed Oct. 11, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,974, which is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 07/356,222, filed May 24, 1989, nowU.S. Pat. No. 4,971,495.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a nut retainer and moreparticularly to a lug nut retainer for holding lug nuts in position forloosening and tightening of the lug nuts in automobile racing.

In automobile racing, it is crucially important to minimize the lengthof time required for pit stops for refueling, tire changing and othernecessary service to the race car. For tire changing during pit stops,it has long been the typical practice to prepare fresh tires formounting during the pit stop by prepositioning the lug nuts at the tirewheel lug holes and securing the nuts to the wheel in that position withadhesive. Then, during the pit stop the used wheels are removed from therace car and the prepared wheels are positioned onto the car's wheelhubs so that the hub studs protrude through the wheel lug holes and intothe lug nuts. The studs break the adhesive bond holding the lug nuts tothe wheels and the lug nuts are left on the ends of the studs inposition for tightening.

This known method for positioning the lug nuts presents a number ofdisadvantages. When the adhesive does not properly hold the nut to theshell or the lug nut does not properly engage the stud during thepositioning of the wheel, the lug nut may drop off of the stud onto theground. Similarly, if the lug nut or the stud are moved before the nutis tightened the nut may drop off of the stud. The additional timerequired to retrieve the lug nut and position it on the stud fortightening may significantly increase the duration of the pit stop. Whenthe used wheels are removed from their hubs the used lug nuts arecommonly allowed to fall to the ground to be retrieved during or afterthe pit stop. If a lug nut is run over by a car, the lug nut may damagethe car's tire and may be picked up by the car's tire and thrown,resulting in damage to the car or injury to a pitman or spectator.Moreover, the pitmen may have to move into the path of other cars inorder to retrieve the used lug nuts. In addition, if the lug nut doesnot properly engage the stud, the threads of the nut and/or stud may bedamaged. Finally, cleaning the nut adhesive from the wheels, nuts andstuds is time consuming. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for animproved lug nut retainer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention alleviates to a great extent the disadvantages ofthe prior art by providing a lug nut retainer that holds the lug nut inposition at the wheel lug hole to accept the stud extended through thewheel lug hole and for resiliently urging the lug nut onto the stud andsimultaneously allowing the lug nut to rotate to screw onto and off ofthe stud.

In one aspect of the present invention a resilient retaining clip ismounted onto the wheel to hold the lug nut in position near the wheellug hole and to resiliently urge the lug nut towards the wheel lug hole.

In another aspect of the invention the retaining clip is fastened to thewheel lug hole by inserting an arm of the clip through two holesprovided in the wheel. As an additional feature, a limit clip isprovided that limits the motion of the retaining clip to decrease thelikelihood that the retaining clip may be bent or damaged while allowingthe retaining clip to be positioned on a nut.

In another aspect of the present invention the retaining nut is providedwith a socket stop sleeve, around which the retaining clip ispositioned, for keeping the nut drive socket from rubbing significantlyagainst the retaining clip.

In another aspect of the invention, a retaining plate is provided forholding the retaining clip and the retaining plate is fixed to the wheelfor wheel types where the retaining and limit clips protruding throughthe back of the wheel would contact the hub or otherwise interfere withparts of the automobile.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a nut retainer forholding a nut in position proximate a lug nut hole.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a nut retainerwith foregoing advantages and which may be resiliently moved in relationto the stud.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a lug nut retainerwith the foregoing advantages and which is light weight and may be usedon automobile racing wheels.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomereadily apparent from the following description and drawings whichillustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tire wheel including a lug nutretainer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a single lug nut held by the lug nut retainerof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along the line III--III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3 with the lug nut slightly rotated and in anuntightened position on a stud.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the retaining clip of the lug nutretainer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the limit clip of the lug nut retainerof FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the retaining plate of the lug nutretainer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a tire wheel including a lug nutretainer according to an alternate preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a tire wheel including a lug nutretainer according to a third preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a single lug nut held by the lug nut retainerof FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a section view taken along the line XI--XI of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of aretaining clip according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view of the retaining clip of FIG. 12 inposition on a wheel.

FIG. 14 is a view like FIG. 13 showing a fifth preferred embodiment of aretaining clip according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a view like FIG. 14 showing a sixth preferred embodiment of aretaining clip according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Refer now to FIG. 1 there being shown a perspective view of a tire wheelincluding a lug nut retainer, generally designated by reference numeral10, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A tire13 is mounted on a wheel 12 which includes a hub plate 14. A retainingplate 30 is attached to the hub plate 14 by three fasteners 33. Thefasteners 33 may be rivets or other suitable means for fastening. Foreach lug nut on the wheel, the retaining plate 30 has a correspondingset of holes formed through its thickness. One lug nut 20 and itscorresponding clips 40 and 50 of retainer 10 are not shown in FIG. 1 sothat the relative positioning of one set of these holes may be viewedwith clarity. Each set of holes includes a lug hole 32, a first cliphole 34 and a second clip hole 36. The lug holes 32 are provided foraccepting the hub studs as described in more detail below, particularlywith respect to FIG. 4. The wheel hub plate 14 has corresponding lugholes 15 for accepting the hub studs. The first clip holes 34 and thesecond clip holes 36 are positioned for holding the clips 40 and 50 asdescribed in more detail below, particularly with respect to FIGS. 2through 4. Each lug nut 20 has a flange 24 which is engaged by theresilient retaining clip 40 to hold the lug nut 20 proximate to the lughole 32 and to resiliently urge the lug nut 20 towards the hub plate 14.

Refer now to FIG. 2 which shows an enlarged plan view of one of the lugnuts 20 and its corresponding clips 40 and 50 of FIG. 1. The retainingclip 40 includes a ring 42 that is sized large enough to extend aroundthe outside of the nut 20 to allow the nut to rotate, and small enoughto prevent the flange 24 from passing through the ring 42. Thus, thering 42 engages the nut 20 by interference with the flange 24 to holdthe nut 20 in position at its corresponding lug hole 32 while allowingthe nut 20 to rotate to be screwed on and off the stud. The retainingring 42 has two arms 44 which extend from the ring 42 to the second cliphole 36 and, as described in further detail with respect to FIGS. 3 and4, extends under the retaining plate 30 and back towards the first cliphole 34. The limit clip 50 an arch 51 and has two arms 52 extending fromthe arch 51 past the outsides of the retainer clip arms 44 and into thefirst clip hole 34. The limit clip 50 then further extends under theretainer plate 30 and up through the second clip hole 36 to engage theupper surface of the retaining plate 30 with a pair of feet 58.

Refer now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there being shown cross-sectional views ofthe nut retainer 10. The plane of FIG. 3, the cross section takenthrough nut 20, is perpendicular to two of the nut faces 26. FIG. 4shows the nut rotated by fifteen degrees so that the plane of FIG. 4extends through the edges 25 between the nut faces 26. The nut 20includes a body 21 having a socket end 27 and a hub end 28. The nut 20has six faces 26 and six edges 25 formed where adjacent faces 26 meet.Six sleeve recesses 60 are formed in the body 21 of the hub end of theedges 25. A socket stop sleeve 22 is positioned around the body 21 atthe recesses 25. The body 21 near the edges 25 engages and holds thesocket stop sleeve 22 from movement towards the socket end 27 of the nut20. A flange recess 23 is formed at the hub end 27 of the nut 20adjacent to the sleeve recesses 60. The flange 24 is positioned aroundthe nut 20 at the flange recess 23. The flange 24 is a flattened donutshape like a washer and has an inner diameter 61 and an outer diameter62. The inner diameter 61 is sized for the flange 24 to be pressed fitonto the lug nut 20. Alternatively, the flange 24 may be held onto thelug nut 20 by other means. The outer diameter 62 of the flange 24 issized s that the flange 24 will engage both the socket stop sleeve 22and the ring 42 of the retaining clip 40. The retaining clip ring 42extends around the outside of the sleeve 22.

The sleeve 22 has an outside diameter which is larger than the distancebetween the opposing nut faces 26 so that when the drive socket (notshown) is positioned onto the nut 26 for tightening or loosening thenut, the drive socket abuts against the socket end of socket stop sleeve22 and is kept from bearing significantly against the retaining clipring 42.

The retaining clip 40 has a pair of arms 44 which extend from the ringbends 43 to the arm bends 45. The arm bends 45 extend through the secondclip hole 36 of the retaining plate 30. The legs 46 extend from the armbend 45 underneath the retaining plate 30 and back towards the firstclip hole 34. The retaining clip 40 then has two ankle bends 47connecting the respective legs 46 to the feet 48. The feet 48 extend atleast partially into the first clip hole 34 to limit the rotation of theretaining clip 40 in the second clip hole 36 and to align the retainingring 42 with the lug hole 32.

The lengths of the arms 44 and the legs 46 are chosen to allow for somelimited translational movement of the retaining clip 40 in the firstclip hole 34 and the second clip hole 36 and to allow for manufacturingdimensional errors in the retaining plate 30 as well as in the hub platelug hole 15 of lug plate 14. The limit clip 50 has an arch 51 from whichextends two arms 52. The arms 52 extend through the first clip hole 34and are connected at the arm bends 53 to two first legs 54. The firstlegs 54 are connected at the knee bends 55 to the second legs 56. Thefirst legs 54 extend beneath the retaining plate 30 towards the secondclip hole 36. The second legs 56 extend up through the second clip hole36. As shown in FIG. 2, the feet 58 connect to the second leg portions56 and extend outward to engage the top of the retainer plate 30. Thelength of the first leg portions 54 is chosen to allow some lateralmovement of the limit clip 50 with respect to the clip holes 34 and 36.The length of the arms 52 are chosen to allow movement of the arms 44 ofthe retaining clip 40, extending between the arms 52, a sufficientdistance so that the lug nuts 20 can be inserted or removed fromposition within the retaining ring 42 and at the lug hole 32. The arch51 and the arms 52 limit the upward and sideways movement of the arms 44to maintain alignment of the ring 42 and to inhibit plastic bending ofthe clip 40.

Arms 52 are connected at the arm bends 53 at an angle 70 to the firstlegs 54 to provide for easier assembly and also to engage the arms 44 ata position which is less likely to result in the bending of the arms 44during use. In addition, if sufficient upward force is exerted on thearms 44 so that they engage the arch 51, some resilient bending of thearms 52, and thus movement of the arch 51, will result to furtherdecrease the likelihood of plastically bending the arms 44. In FIG. 3,the retaining clip 40 is shown in phantom in a raised position to allowthe positioning of the nut 25.

Refer now to FIG. 4 wherein the hub plate 14 is shown in position on ahub 18 with a threaded stud 19 extending through the hub plate stud hole15, through the lug hole 32 and extends into the threaded bore 63 of thenut 20. Note that the lug hole 32 of the retaining plate 30 accepts theraised hub plate lug hole 15 and further that the lug hole 32 is sizedsufficiently large so that the retaining plate 30 does not bearsignificantly against the flange 24 upon tightening of the lug nut 20.The bearing surfaces are at lug plate lug hole 15 and the nut bearingsurface 29. Similarly, the flange 24 is positioned so that it is nottightened against the hub plate 14 when the lug nut 20 is tightened.Rather, conical nut bearing surface 29 bears against the conical hole 15upon tightening of the lug nut 20. The undercut portion 64 of the bore63 is unthreaded and cut larger in diameter to reduce the weight of thenut 20, to help axially align the nut 20 before tightening and toenhance the release of the threads of the nut 20 from the stud 19 uponuntightening and removal of the nut 20. Also shown in FIG. 3, thefastener 33 extends to hold the retaining plate 30 to the hub plate 14.

Refer now to FIGS. 5 and 6 which show perspective views of the retainingclip 40 and the limit clip 50. The retaining clip 40 has a ring 42 and apair of arms 44 which extend from the ring bends 43 to the arm bends 45.The legs 46 extend from the arm bends 45 to the leg bends 47 whichconnect the legs 46 to the feet 48. Arms 44 may be curved slightly overtheir length to be concave towards the feet 48 to decrease thelikelihood of plastically bending the arms 44 during use. The limit clip50 has an arch 51 from which extend two arms 52 diverging, with the clip50 in the relaxed position, at an angle 71. The arms 52 are connected atthe bends 53 to the first legs 54 at an angle 70. The first legs 54diverge, with the clip 50 in the relaxed state, at an angle 72. Thefirst legs 54 are connected at knee bends 55 to the second legs 56. Thesecond legs 56 are connected at ankle bends 57 to the feet 58 whichextend outwardly. The clip 50 is formed so that the arms 52 and the legs54 diverge so that when the clip 50 is in position and extending throughthe clip holes 34 and 36, the clip 50 is under slight tension with thearms 52 and the legs 54 urging outwardly to ensure that the outwardlyturned feet 58 extend beyond the diameter of the second clip hole 36 toengage the upper surface of the retaining plate 30 to inhibit the clip50 from being pushed or pulled through the second clip hole 36.

Refer now to FIG. 7, there being shown a perspective view of theretaining plate 30. The inner rim portion 35 of the retaining plate 30is contoured to be curved down to some extent to contact the top surfaceof the hub plate 14 near the inner edge 31 of the retaining plate 30.The contact of the inner rim portion 35 against the hub plate 14, alongwith the contact of the retaining plate 30 at the raised holes 15,separates the retaining plate 30 from the upper surface of the hub plate14 to provide some freedom of movement of the legs 54 and 46 of theclips 40 and 50. The retaining plate 30 has a set of holes correspondingto each lug nut 20. Each set of holes includes a lug hole 32, a firstclip hole 34 and a second clip hole 36. The lug holes 32 are providedfor accepting the hub studs as described in more detail above. The firstclip holes 34 and the second clip holes 36 are positioned for holdingthe clips 40 and 50 as described in more detail above.

For a lug nut 20 sized to be useful for typical automotive applications,the following set of approximate preferable dimensions have been foundto be useful, however, other dimensions may be used and the invention isnot limited to the use of the following dimensions. The diameter of thelug nut 36 is about one and one half inches, and the diameters of thefirst and second clip holes 34 and 36 are each about three eighths of aninch. The centers of the lug hole 32 and the first clip hole 34 areseparated by about one and three quarters inches and the centers of thefirst clip hole 34 and the second clip hole 36 are separated by aboutone and one quarter inches. The centers of the holes 32, 34 and 36 liein an approximate straight line. The flange 24 has an outside diameterof about one and three eighths inches and an inside diameter of aboutone inch. The sleeve 22 has an outside diameter of about one and oneeighth inches and an inside diameter of about fifteen sixteenths of aninch. The height of the sleeve 22 is preferably about one quarter of aninch. The clips 40 and 50 are formed from one thirty-second inchdiameter steel rod. The ring 42 has a diameter of about one and onequarter inches. The length of arms 44 is about two and one half inches.The length of legs 46 is about one and one quarter inches. The arch 51separates the two arms 52 by about one quarter of an inch. The arms 52are about one and three eighths inches long and, in a relaxed position,diverge at an angle 71 of about ten degrees. The angle 70 of arm bends53 is about one hundred and twenty degrees. The length of first legs 54is about one and one eighth inches and the first legs diverge at anangle 72 of about twenty degrees with the clip 50 in a relaxed position.The angles formed by the bends 55 and 57 are each about ninety degrees.The length of the second legs 56 is about five sixteenths of an inch andthe length of feet 58 is about three sixteenths of an inch.

Refer now to FIG. 8 there being shown a perspective view of a wheel 112including a lug nut retainer according to an alternate preferredembodiment of the present invention. Tire 113 is mounted onto wheel 112which includes a hub plate 114. The separation distance between the fivehub plate lug holes 115 is greater than the corresponding separationdistance between the hub plate holes 15 of the hub plate 14 of the wheel12 described above with respect to FIG. 1. Typically, for wheels havingsuch wide lug spacings as shown in FIG. 8, the corresponding automobilehub does not fit flush against the back of wheel hub plate 114 in theproximately of the first clip holes 134 and the second clip holes 136located as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, the holes 134 and 136 are formeddirectly through in hub plate 114 and a separate retaining plate 30 isnot required. Otherwise, the positioning and function of the clips 40and 50 and the construction of the nut 20 is the same as described abovewith respect to FIGS. 1 through 7.

Refer now to FIGS. 9 through 11, there being shown a third preferredembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows a tire 13 mounted onwheel 12 which has a wheel hub plate 14 similar to FIG. 1. The retainer210 includes a retaining clip 240 which includes a ring 242 that issized large enough to extend around the outside of nut 220 to allow thenut to rotate, and small enough to prevent a flange 224 from passingthrough ring 242. The clip 240 is twisted to form hooks 243 and 244which contact each other upon expansion of the ring 242 to keep the ring242 from being expanded to too large of a size. A pair of arms 245 and246 extend outwardly from the hooks 243 and 244, respectively, and arebent at the elbows 247 and 248, respectively, to extend toward the innerrim 231 of the wheel hub plate 14. The clip 240 bends around to form theloops 251 and 252 at the ends of the arms 245 and 246, respectively. Apair of extensions 255 and 256 extend away from the nut 220 from theloops 251 and 252, respectively, pass between the arms 245 and 246respectively and the wheel hub plate 14 and terminate in a pair oflooped ends 253 and 254, respectively.

The construction of the retainer 210 eliminates the need for theretaining plate 30 used in the embodiment of FIG. 1. The retaining clip240 is held at its two looped ends 253 and 254 to the wheel hub plate 14by rivets 233 (not shown in FIG. 9) passing through the loops. Eachrivet 233 may serve to hold the ends of two retaining clips 240 byappropriate selection of dimensions of the retaining clips 240 for aspecific wheel type. The elbows 247 and 248 and the loops 251 and 252use available space to extend around the nut 220 and provide additionallength to the retaining clip 240 to allow greater movement of the nut220 away from the wheel 14 against the spring action of the clip 240urging the nut 220 towards the wheel.

Refer now to FIG. 11 there being shown a cross-sectional view of the nutretainer 210 with the plane of FIG. 10 extending through nut corners 225between the nut faces 226. The nut 220 includes a body 221 having asocket end 227 and a hub end 228. The construction and function of thenut 220 is substantially the same as the nut 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.Although in contrast to the nut 20 wherein the stop sleeve 22 and theflange 24 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are three separate pieces, the nut 220has the stop portion 222 and the flange 224 formed with a nut body 221as a single integral piece. The one-piece construction of the nut body221, the socket stop 222 and the flange 224 eliminates the need forassembly of these parts during manufacturing. In addition, the nut 220includes a nut recess 223 extending around the nut body 221 immediatelyadjacent to the stop portion 222. The nut recess 223 is formed todecrease the weight of the of the nut 220.

Refer now to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of analternate preferred embodiment of a retainer clip 340 according to thepresent invention. FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of nut retainer340 with a plane perpendicular to a wheel hub plate 314. The retainingclip 340 has a ring 342 and hooks 343 and 344 and arms 345 and 346 withelbows 347 and 348 similar to the retainer 210. The clip 340 has a pairof knees 357 and 358 which connect the arms 345 and 346 to the legs 361and 362. The retaining clip 340 bends at the knees 357 and 358 at theinside edge 331 of the wheel hub plate 314 so that the legs 361 and 362of the clip 240 extend from the knees 357 and 358, respectively,underneath the wheel hub plate 314 and back in a direction toward theclip holes 334. The legs 361 and 362 bend to form buttons 359 and 360,respectively, which protrude into the clip holes 334 to secure theretaining clip 340 in position. The legs 361 and 362 have feet 353 and354 which extend from the buttons and underneath the wheel hub plate314. The knees 357 and 358 are squared off to correspond to the squaredoff inner rim 331 of the wheel hub plate 314. Such an inner rim contouris typical of aluminum wheels.

Refer now to FIGS. 14 and 15 there being shown fifth and sixthembodiments of the present invention. The clip 440 of FIG. 14 is similarto the clip 340 except for the knees and the ends. The arm 445 connectswith knee 457 which bends around an inner rim 431 of the wheel hub plate414 and connects with the leg 460 which is straight and has a straightend 453. The knee 457 is rounded to correspond to the rounded contour ofthe inner rim 431 which is typical of steel wheels. The knee 457 may beangled to urge the leg 460 against the wheel hub plate 414 in use.

The clip 540 of FIG. 15 is similar to the clip 340 except for the ends.The arm 545 connects with the knee 557 which bends around an inner rim531 of the wheel hub plate 514 and connects with the leg 560 which isstraight and has an end 553 that is angled to correspond to the angle ofthe angled portion 516 of the wheel hub plate 514. Such angled wheelportions are typical of carmen type wheels. The angled end 553 engagesthe angled wheel portion 516 to help hold the clip 540 on the wheel hubplate 514.

The above description and drawings are only illustrative of preferredembodiments which achieve the objects, features and advantages of thepresent invention, and it is not intended that the present invention belimited thereto. Any modification of the present invention which comeswithin the spirit and scope of the following claims is considered partof the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent ofthe U.S. is:
 1. A lug nut retainer comprising a lug nut having a socketstop means and an outwardly extending flange, retaining means forholding said lug nut in position proximate to a lug hole of a wheel toaccept a stud extending through said lug hole and for resiliently urgingsaid lug nut onto said stud and simultaneously allowing said lug nut torotate to screw onto and off of said stud, said retaining meansincluding a resilient retaining clip affixed to the wheel, saidretaining clip being positioned to engage the nut so that the nut willdisplace said retaining clip upon movement of the nut away from the lughole, said retaining clip having a thickness, the socket stop meansprotecting said retaining means, said stop means having a dimensionsufficient to protect all of said retaining means from significantrubbing by a tool used to turn said nut, said retaining clip including aretaining ring sized to extend around the nut and extend over saidflange, said retaining ring including an expansion limit means forpreventing said ring from expanding beyond a predetermined diameter. 2.A retainer as in claim 1, wherein the nut has a body with a boreextending entirely through said body, said bore being threaded over atleast a portion of its length, the nut having a socket end at one end ofsaid bore, a hub end at the other end of said bore and a plurality ofsocket faces, each of said faces having a hub end and a socket end andeach of said faces extending from said socket end of the nut towardssaid hub end of said nut and arranged on the outside of said body toaccept a socket drive tool, said flange extending outwardly from saidnut body at a position between the hub end of said faces and the hub endof said nut.
 3. A retainer as in claim 2, wherein the nut includes saidsocket stop extending from the body of the nut at a position between thehub end of said faces and said flange, said socket stop extendingoutward further than said faces.
 4. A retainer as in claim 3, whereinsaid retaining ring extends around said socket stop.
 5. A retainer as inclaim 4, wherein said retaining ring has a thickness and socket stop hasa height greater than said retaining ring thickness.
 6. A retainer as inclaim 1, wherein said predetermined diameter is sized to prevent saidretaining ring from expanding to a size larger than said flange.
 7. Aretainer as in claim 1, wherein said expansion limit means includes twohooks formed by a twist in said retaining clip, said hooks contactingeach other upon expansion of the ring.
 8. A retainer as in claim 7,wherein said retaining clip includes at least one arm extending fromsaid hooks, said at least one arm including an affixing means foraffixing said retainer to said wheel.
 9. A retainer as in claim 8,wherein said affixing means includes a looped end at the end of said atleast one arm, said looped end being capable of being held by a rivet tosaid wheel.
 10. A retainer as in claim 9, wherein said at least one armfurther includes a lop formed in said clip, said loop being between saidhooks and said looped end.
 11. A retainer as in claim 10, wherein saidat least one arm further includes an extension between said loops andsaid looped ends.
 12. A retainer as in claim 11, wherein said at leastone arm further includes an elbow between said hooks and said loop. 13.A retainer as in claim 12, wherein said retaining clip is formed from asingle length of rod, and there are two of each of said arms, of saidlooped ends, of said loops, of said extensions and of said elbows.
 14. Aretainer as in claim 9, wherein said rivet may be sized so as tosimultaneously affix said looped end from two adjacent retainers to saidwheel.
 15. A retainer as in claim 8, wherein said affixing meansincludes a portion of said at least one arm extending around an innerrim of said wheel and engaging a back side of a hub plate of said wheel.16. A retainer as in claim 15, wherein said at least one arm includes aknee sized to engage said inner rim, and a leg extending from said kneealong said back side of said hub plate in a direction away from saidinner rim.
 17. A retainer as in claim 16 wherein said leg includes abutton sized to engage a hole in said hub plate.
 18. A retainer as inclaim 17, wherein said leg further includes a foot extending from saidbutton, said foot engaging said back side of said hub.
 19. A retainer asin claim 18, wherein said retaining clip is formed from a single lengthof rod, and there are two of each of said arms, of said knees, of saidlegs, of said buttons, and of said feet.
 20. A retainer as in claim 16,wherein said knee is substantially squared off to correspond to thecontour of an inner rim which is substantially squared off.
 21. Aretainer as in claim 16, wherein said knee is substantially rounded tocorrespond to the contour of a substantially rounded inner rim.
 22. Aretainer as in claim 16, wherein said leg has an end connected at anangle to said leg, said angle corresponding to an angled portion of saidhub plate, said end engaging said angled portion of said hub plate. 23.A lug nut retainer comprising a lug nut having an outwardly extendingflange, retaining means for holding said lug nut in position proximateto a lug hole of a wheel to accept a stud extending through said lughole and for resiliently urging said lug nut onto said stud andsimultaneously allowing said lug nut to rotate to screw onto and off ofsaid stud, said retaining means including a resilient retaining clipaffixed to the wheel, said retaining clip being positioned to engage thenut so that the nut will displace said retaining clip upon movement ofthe nut away from the lug hole, said retaining clip including aretaining ring sized to extend around the nut and extend over saidflange, said retaining ring including an expansion limit means forpreventing said ring from expanding beyond a predetermined diameter anda socket stop means for engaging a socket stop tool used to turn saidnut for preventing significant rubbing of said retaining ring by saidsocket stop tool.